Airship.



A. CRANE.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1909.

Patented Feb. 1, 19150.

RHEOE: TA T RHEOSTAT season.

ARTHUR CRANE, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

' AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented eh. ll, 191d.

Application filed June 1, 1903. Serial No. 499,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AR'rriUR CRANE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at No. 2937 King street, Berkeley, Alameda, State of California, have invented a new and useful Airship, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in .the construction-of airships in which control can be exercised over the craft by means of the combination of two or more separate and independent engines or motors; and the objects of my improvements are, firstly, to guide or steer the craft through the air; and second, to enable the craft to be operated from the earth by means of sending the power or fuel to the several engines or motors, either throu h flexible steam pipes, electric wires or fue pipes. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 1s a vertical elevation of the mechanism of the airshi showing a section of the frame or shell; Fig. 2is a section of the inside gear of that portion of the mechanism marked CC on Fig. 1.

In the drawingM represents a section of the car or shell of the airship. Mounted on suitable supports within the shells are three motors, AA, BB and G0, which may be of any desired type suitable Projecting vertically through an o ening in the upper part of the shell an turning therein is a hollow shaft N carrying a screw propeller B at its 11' er end an being provided near its lower dhd with a bevel gear a meshing with a bevel gear 6 fixed to the shaft of motor BB whereby said motor drives propeller B. Within the said hollow shaft N is a second shaft I projecting beyond shaft Nat both the upper and lower.

ends thereof, and carrying at its upper end a screw propeller A similar to propeller B; the lower end of shaft P is directly connected to the shaft of motor AA whereby the latter drives propeller A. The relative direction of rotation of the two motors is such that the propellers 'A and B rotate in op osite directions.

1) are flexible connections leading to the in the county ofmediate for the purpose.

' rotatin lifting propeller earth for controlling the motors AA and BB and maybe adapted for conveying any suitable motive fluid to the motors, being indicated in the drawing as electric conductors.

At'the front of the air ship and projecting through the shell thereof are concentric shafts d and Said shafts d andare operatively connected for rotation in opposite directions by any suitable gearing as for example by the device illustrated in the drawin in which 0 is a gear fixed to shaft 03 which latter is directly connected to the shaft of motor (3C, a, n are inter- (gears mounted upon fixed supports 10 p, sai gears n n meshing with gear 0, and m is an annular gear fixed to shaft 6 and also meshing with gears n n.

The method of control, whether exercised on board the airship or from the earth is to increase the power on rotary fans A and B to ascend, decrease it to descend, increase the proportionate I turmng toward the right, to turn the airship toward the left; and to increase the proportionate power on the rotary fan turnin toward the left to turn the alrship toward the ri ht. r

I am aware that prior to my inventions rotary fans have been with in connection with airships, I therefore do not claim the helicopter principle broadly; but

I claim: I

1. In a flying machine, superimposed lifting propellers, separate motors arranged for driving the same in opposite directions and means for independently controlling the motors, thereby permitting the steering of the machine without the use of a rudder.

2. In a flying machine, superposed lifting propellers, separate motors for driving the same 1n opposite directions and flexible fluid conductors connecting with the earth for independently controlhng the motors, thereby permitting the steering of the machine without the use of a rudder. a

3. In a flying machine, in combination, a mounted upon a vertica shaft, a second rotating propeller power on the rotary fan' used to experiment 7 ends of each of said shafts and separate located below the first .ropeller and mounted upon a hollow sha t inclosing the first named shaft, gears fixed upon the lower ARTHUR CRANE.

, 'Witnesses:

Jos. F. COLLINS, V. P. ACKER.

motive mechanisrn operatively connected to said gears for driving said propellers in upposite directions, whereby the relative speed 

